Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788311256290viber_image_2026-09-01_05-16-02 (9).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Two Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) officers testify before the Senate Impeachment Court on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, in the continuing trial of Vice President Sara Duterte over the utilization of the Department of Education&#x27;s (DepEd) confidential funds. <em>Wendell D. Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — A defense lawyer of Vice President Sara Duterte and a Philippine Statistics Authority official are set to testify on Day 21 of Duterte’s impeachment trial in the Senate. </p><p>Defense counsel and spokesperson for the defense Michael Poa is set to testify as a hostile witness on the alleged misuse of Department of Education confidential funds when Duterte was DepEd chief. </p><p>Poa, a former DepEd assistant chief-of-staff, previously testified before the House of Representatives Committee on Good Government in 2024.</p><p>Army officers Col. Manaros Boransing II and Col. Magtanggol Panopio earlier testified before the impeachment trial that AFP did not receive DepEd confidential funds for the conduct of youth leadership seminars in 2023.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/9/1/army-officer-says-no-confi-funds-provided-for-youth-leadership-summits-1343">Army officer says no confi funds provided for Youth Leadership Summits</a></div><p>The two officials said they were surprised that the DepEd used these certificates to liquidate P15.54 million in confidential funds supposedly given as rewards during eight iterations of the these events.</p><p>Duterte lead defense counsel Shiela Sison, meanwhile, <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/9/1/sara-duterte-s-camp-cites-for-any-legal-purpose-clause-in-certificate-used-for-coa-audit-1847">cited</a> a documentary clause to justify why the DepEd used an attendance certification from the Philippine Army to explain how it spent millions in confidential funds despite military officials saying that they were not made aware of such arrangements.</p><p>“The certification issued… specifically stated that these collaborative efforts… were conducted… in close partnership of DepEd,” Sison said.</p><p>“The certifications were issued page per page ‘for whatever legal purpose it may serve.’ Therefore, when the AFP officers issued these certificates, they did so with eyes wide open that these will be used for whatever legal purpose it may serve under the original document rule,” she added.</p><p>House prosecution spokesperson Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur said the DepEd &quot;used&quot; a long-running Armed Forces of the Philippines activity as a &quot;front&quot; to justify its use of confidential funds.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/9/1/prosecution-afp-witnesses-testimony-shows-fraudulent-liquidation-of-deped-funds-1716">Prosecution: AFP witnesses&#x27; testimony shows &#x27;fraudulent&#x27; liquidation of DepEd funds</a></div><p>“Pwede po natin ma-draw na conclusion na na-budol po ang AFP, ganun po ka-desperado ang Department of Education,&quot; he said.</p><p>(We can draw the conclusion that the AFP was misled, that is how desperate the Department of Education was.)</p><p>Manila 6th District Rep. Benny Abante Jr. said the testimonies further highlighted alleged “deceit and fraud” since the military believed the certifications were not about money allegedly used for them.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>PSA VERIFICATION</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande is also set to testify on the PSA’s verification of names found in acknowledgment receipts submitted by the Office of the Vice President and DepEd. Among the names of alleged recipients of OVP and DepEd confidential funds are:</p><div><br/></div><p>• Mary Grace Piattos</p><p>• Milky Secuya</p><p>• Kokoy Villamin</p><p>• Pia Piattos-Lim</p><p>• Andy Lim</p><p>• Miggy Mango</p><p>• Mico Harina</p><p>• Ralph Joseph Bacon</p><p>• Kristine Applegate Estrada</p><p>• Mer Spiats</p><p>• Nova Santos</p><p>• Xiaome Ocho</p><p>• Antonio Pagong, and several others</p><div><br/></div><p>Grande previously <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/14/psa-reiterates-it-has-no-records-of-mary-grace-piattos-kokoy-villamin-2046">told the House justice committee</a> that the PSA found no birth, marriage, or death records for Mary Grace Piattos, Kokoy Villamin, and Milky Secuya.</p><p>Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente &quot;Tito&quot; Sotto III earlier said an alias or alternate name used to conceal one&#x27;s identity can only be considered as such <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/9/1/alias-a-fictitious-fake-name-unless-a-real-person-is-behind-it-sotto-1445">if there is a real person behind it</a>, otherwise, the name is fictitious or fake. <strong>—With Rowegie Abanto, Jaehwa Bernardo and Allison Co, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>        </strong></div>

<p>A defense lawyer of Vice President Sara Duterte and a Philippine Statistics Authority official are set to testify on Day 21 of Duterte’s impeachment trial in the Senate.</p>

A defense lawyer of Vice President Sara Duterte and a Philippine Statistics Authority official are set to testify on Day 21 of Duterte’s impeachment trial in the Senate.

Poa, PSA official set to testify in VP Duterte impeach trial Day 21

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Poa, PSA official set to testify in VP Duterte impeach trial Day 21

David Dizon,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 02, 2026 09:09 AM PHT

|

Updated September 02, 2026 09:44 AM PHT

Read More:

impeachment

sara duterte

michael poa

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